Americans United - Tom Corbetthttps://www.au.org/tags/tom-corbett
enElection Reflection: No Matter Who Is Running What, We’ll Keep Defending The Wallhttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/election-reflection-no-matter-who-is-running-what-we-ll-keep-defending-the
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Here&#039;s some election news you might have missed. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Religious Right groups are crowing about the results of yesterday’s elections, and they have reason to: There’s no doubt that the next Congress is going to be more welcoming to right wingers who are obsessed with social issues.</p><p>With so many more far-right conservatives coming into Congress, it’s inevitable that we’ll see a ramping up of the “culture wars.” That’s unfortunate because I doubt that’s what most people were voting for yesterday.</p><p>Even with their new majority, Republicans won’t have enough votes to override presidential vetoes. The nation will likely see more gridlock and more time wasted on symbolic votes that are designed to advance an ideological agenda, not achieve lasting policy goals. We may even see an effort to impeach President Barack Obama. It’s bound to fail, but some on the far right seem to believe it would be good political theater.</p><p>The gridlock is especially unfortunate, and it will impact an area that’s very important for church-state relations: the courts.</p><p>Many of us have been disappointed with aspects of Obama’s church-state record (no changes in the “faith-based” initiative, U.S. Justice Department took the wrong side in the municipal prayer case <em>Town of Greece v. Galloway</em>, etc.), but one area where he has made a real difference has been the federal courts. In the main, Obama’s judicial appointments have been good and have helped steer the courts in a more moderate direction. That will now likely come to a screeching halt. Republicans will have little reason to put more of Obama’s judges on the bench.</p><p>Religious Right groups will undoubtedly interpret the results as a mandate for an aggressive, far-right social issues agenda. In fact, social issues didn’t dominate this campaign. Voter turnout was lackluster, and the main message many Americans seemed to project was ennui. As often happens in midterm elections, the base spoke, not the average American. And the simple fact is, the far-right base was more motivated this time.</p><p>The battle for the Senate dominated headlines for months. But there were other races AU was watching. Here is some information about them:</p><p><strong>Alabama:</strong> Voters approved <a href="http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/10/amendment_one_is_useless_costl.html">Amendment 1</a>, which has been interpreted as a backdoor way to ban Islamic law in the state. The proposal doesn’t mention sharia by name but bars courts from applying “any law, rule or legal code system used outside of the United States or by any other people, group or culture different from the people of the United States or the State of Alabama.” The vote was 72.3 percent for to 27.7 percent against.</p><p><strong>Hawaii:</strong> Voters rejected <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Hawaii_State_Funding_for_Private_Early_Childhood_Education_Programs,_Amendment_4_%282014%29">Amendment 4</a>, which would have altered the state constitution to allow for public funding of private preschool programs, many of which are sectarian. Fifty-two percent opposed the measure.</p><p><strong>Georgia: </strong>Religious Right activist Jody Hice was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Hice is a Baptist minister in Bethlehem, Ga., known for his anti-gay activism and <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/grassroots-blight-religious-right-trains-local-activists-to-impose-biblical">“Christian nation” worldview</a>. In 2008, Americans United <a href="https://www.au.org/media/press-releases/au-urges-irs-to-take-action-against-six-churches-that-joined-pulpit-politicking">reported him to the IRS</a> after Hice gave a sermon instructing his flock to vote for U.S. Sen. John McCain for president.</p><p><strong>Colorado:</strong> Gordon James Klingenschmitt, a former Navy chaplain and Religious Right activist, won a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives. Klingenschmitt’s tenure in the Navy was controversial because he refused to follow the orders of superiors and cease praying in the name of Jesus at public events. He later announced that he was <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/spiritual-warfare-ex-chaplain-prays-for-death-of-aus-lynn">praying for the death</a> of AU Executive Director Barry W. Lynn.</p><p><strong>Maryland:</strong> Neo-Confederate and “Christian nation” activist Michael Peroutka won a seat on the Anne Arundel, Md., County Council. During the race, Peroutka attacked the teaching of evolution in public schools, and in a <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/michael-peroutka-promotion-evolution-act-disloyalty-america">2011 speech</a> stated, “What I am saying is that the promotion of evolution is an act of disloyalty to America. What I am saying is that there is no way you can promote or believe in evolution and sing ‘God Bless America’ during the seventh-inning stretch. You either believe in creation by which you have rights that government is designed to protect, or you believe that all men are slime and that you have no rights at all.”</p><p><strong>Pennsylvania:</strong> Controversial Gov. Tom Corbett (R), who slashed $1 billion from the state’s public school budget while promoting a voucher-like tax credit plan, ran for a second term and lost. He was defeated by Tom Wolf, who highlighted his support for public education during the race. In the waning days of the campaign, a Religious Right group called ACTION of PA tried to derail Wolf by issuing a press release asserting that if elected, he will tax people to pay for gender-reassignment surgery.</p><p>Finally, two states – Colorado and North Dakota – had “personhood” amendments on their ballots. The provisions would have declared fetuses persons with legal rights. Both were defeated. However, Tennessee voters approved an amendment to the state constitution making it clear that nothing in the document “secures or protects a right to abortion.”</p><p>Remember, Americans United is a non-partisan organization composed of people of many different religious, philosophical and political beliefs. We’ve been at this for more than 65 years. During that time, numerous political changes have buffeted the White House and Congress. Through it all, we’ve continued with our mission: Protecting the right of conscience for all by defending the separation of church and state. We will keep doing that, regardless of which party occupies the White House, the House of Representatives or the Senate. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-groups-involvement-in-candidate-elections">Religious Groups’ Involvement in Candidate Elections</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/jody-hice">Jody Hice</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michael-petrouka">Michael Petrouka</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/gordon-james-klingenschmitt">Gordon James Klingenschmitt</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tom-corbett">Tom Corbett</a></span></div></div>Wed, 05 Nov 2014 16:04:08 +0000Rob Boston10664 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/election-reflection-no-matter-who-is-running-what-we-ll-keep-defending-the#commentsCruel Cuts: Philadelphia Public Schools Pay The Price For Pa.’s Expanded Neo-Voucher Program https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/cruel-cuts-philadelphia-public-schools-pay-the-price-for-pa-s-expanded-neo
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Americans United opposes vouchers because they are frequently a taxpayer bailout for religious schools, but we are also proponents of a strong public education system in this country. That’s why it’s important to remember that when voucher programs expand, it often comes at the expense of public schools.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>For the second year in a row Philadelphia’s public schools are struggling to open on time, and it appears deep budget cuts – including money siphoned for a voucher-like program – are to blame.</p><p>After multiple reports <a href="http://articles.philly.com/2014-08-16/news/52850797_1_district-schools-school-year-superintendent-william-r">questioned</a> last week whether or not Philadelphia’s schools would open on time this year, a $32 million budget cut now has the schools <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/15/philadelphia-schools-open-2014_n_5683127.html">on track for their scheduled start</a> in September.</p><p>Reuters said many feared all district schools would be unable to open without drastic moves, including massive layoffs. But that won’t happen thanks to the budget cut, which Superintendent William Hite called the “least harmful” of his options. (To save money the district will cut back on cleaning and repairs, not fill vacancies for police officers and stop bus service for high schoolers who live less than two miles from school, Reuters said.) </p><p>Even with that large savings due to a reduction of services, CBS Philadelphia reported that the district <a href="http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/08/15/its-decision-day-for-philadelphias-schools-chief-will-they-open-on-time/">still faces an $81 million budget gap</a>.</p><p>Sadly Philadelphia schools are no stranger to serious financial shortfalls. Last year the district had to borrow $50 million to cover part of a $100 million budget gap just so it could open on time.</p><p>Some of the city’s financial problems can be blamed on rising pension and healthcare costs, Reuters said, but much of the funding shortfall comes courtesy of Gov. Tom Corbett (R) and his allies who have pushed a type of voucher under the guise of “school reform.”</p><p>It seems Corbett set his sights on dismantling public education in the Keystone State <a href="https://au.org/church-state/october-2013-church-state/featured/the-great-voucher-fraud">as soon as he took office</a>. In 2011, he slashed the state’s education budget to the tune of $1 billion. He then cited high public school dropout rates and poor test scores statewide as an excuse to set aside more money for Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, which offers tax savings for those who donate to “scholarship” programs (code for vouchers).</p><p>“We have to think and act smarter,” Corbett said, according to an Oct. 2011 blog post on the Allentown <em>Morning Call</em>’s website. “I know we can do better…we have to have the will to do better.”</p><p>But to Corbett, “doing better” meant making public schools worse by robbing them of badly needed funds and transferring that money to charter schools and private schools through tax credits. Corbett wasn’t able to achieve his voucher goal in 2011, but he got his way in 2012, adding another $50 million to the EITC – which is the very amount that Philadelphia public schools were forced to borrow last year.</p><p>Of course Corbett doesn’t blame the problems in Pennsylvania’s most populous city on budget cuts. Instead, <a href="http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/07/11/phila-teachers-union-to-corbett-weve-already-offered-concessions/">he went after teachers unions</a>.</p><p>“We need to have the public sector teacher union in Philadelphia step up and make concessions,” he said in July.</p><p>Perhaps because the situation in Philadelphia is pretty desperate, Corbett agreed to advance the school district $265 million and said he hopes a proposed cigarette tax will raise some badly needed revenue starting Oct. 1; however the future of that tax in the state legislature is uncertain, according to the Philadelphia <em>Inquirer</em>. </p><p>Corbett wouldn’t have to give out large loans or raise taxes if he hadn’t cut $1 billion from state education funding in the first place. But it seems Corbett cares much more about crippling public schools, breaking unions and expanding neo-vouchers than he does about bettering education for the children in his state.</p><p>Americans United opposes vouchers because they are frequently a taxpayer bailout for religious schools, but we are also proponents of a strong public education system in this country. That’s why it’s important to remember that when voucher programs expand, it often comes at the expense of public schools.</p><p>Corbett said: “I know we can do better” when it comes to education in his state. But as long as he continues to cut public school funding and hand over some of that money to voucher programs, his stated goal will never be realized.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/tuition-tax-credits-and-deductions">Tuition Tax Credits and Deductions</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tom-corbett">Tom Corbett</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tax-credit">tax credit</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/philadelphia-public-schools">Philadelphia Public Schools</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/william-hite">William Hite</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a></span></div></div>Tue, 19 Aug 2014 17:19:54 +0000Simon Brown10388 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/cruel-cuts-philadelphia-public-schools-pay-the-price-for-pa-s-expanded-neo#commentsPennsylvania Pride: Marriage Equality Comes To The Keystone Statehttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/pennsylvania-pride-marriage-equality-comes-to-the-keystone-state
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Extending marriage to same-sex couples doesn’t affect churches at all. As long as we have a First Amendment, houses of worship will be free to determine who qualifies for their sacraments and who does not.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>I am a native of Pennsylvania.</p><p>I’m proud of my home state. It has a fascinating history, beautiful mountains and some of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet. (I’ll grant that the weather could be better.)</p><p>James Carville once famously quipped of Pennsylvania that it’s Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between. I’m from the Alabama part. People in my hometown like God, guns, deer hunting and the Pittsburgh Steelers (not necessarily in that order). Conservative Republicans have represented the region in the U.S. House of Representatives since the 1920s. The Democrats often don’t even bother to front a candidate.</p><p>So I’m interested to see what happens when same-sex marriage comes to my old stomping grounds. And it looks like it just might, <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2014/05/20/Same-sex-marriage-ban-ruled-unconstitutional-in-Pennsylvania/stories/201405200185#ixzz32J10yKAy">thanks to a ruling</a> by U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III.</p><p>Jones ruled yesterday that all couples “deserve equal dignity in the realm of civil marriage.”</p><p>Speaking of the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, Jones was blunt. He wrote, “We are a better people than what these laws represent, and it is time to discard them into the ash heap of history.”</p><p>It’s unclear what will happen next. Pennsylvania’s marriage laws are pretty strict. You can’t just show up at the courthouse, get a license and get hitched. There is a three-day waiting period.</p><p>Jones’ ruling could be appealed. The state’s attorney general, a Democrat, has indicated that she has no interest in defending the law, but Gov. Tom Corbett, a Tea Party-style Republican, may feel differently. A higher court might end up putting the ruling on hold while it takes up the issue.</p><p>Jones’ decision, though, is in line with similar recent decisions in <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/19/us/oregon-same-sex-marriage/index.html">Oregon</a> and <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-arkansas-gay-marriage-stay-20140516-story.html">Arkansas</a>. In fact, marriage equality advocates are on something of a roll. In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision striking down key portions of the federal Defense of Marriage Act in 2013, they’ve seen victory after victory.</p><p>What will this mean for all of my conservative friends in the Keystone State? Assuming Jones’ ruling is upheld, it means that same-sex couples will enjoy the same rights that opposite-sex couples often take for granted. If they want marriage, they will get it – and <a href="http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/marriage-rights-benefits-30190.html">all of the benefits</a> that come with it.</p><p>Aside from the intangible satisfaction of formalizing a relationship, same-sex couples will get things like hospital spousal visitation rights, joint property rights, child custody, survivors’ benefits, tax benefits and so on.</p><p>One thing they won’t get is some kind of magical power to make houses of worship bless their unions. We hear this scare talk from the Religious Right a lot. It’s worth reminding everyone that extending marriage to same-sex couples doesn’t affect churches at all. As long as we have a First Amendment, houses of worship will be free to determine who qualifies for their sacraments and who does not.</p><p>Massachusetts recently marked the 10-year anniversary of same-sex marriage in that state. How many members of the clergy there have been forced to preside at a same-sex ceremony? None. Zero. Zilch.</p><p>I hope Jones’ ruling is upheld, and I hope that same-sex couples in Pennsylvania soon start enjoying the same benefits my wife and I have taken advantage of for the past 22 years.</p><p>Last night I visited a Facebook page run by some people from my hometown. I was curious about what the residents there were thinking about this ruling. Sure enough, they were talking about it, and, much to my surprise, the vast majority expressed support. One woman, noting that her nephew has been in a same-sex relationship for years, said she looked forward to finally being able to attend his wedding.</p><p>It occurred to me that perhaps I have been unfair to the residents of my beloved home state. Times are changing, and cultural attitudes are evolving – even in the “Alabama part” of Pennsylvania. </p><p>Imagine how that must terrify the Religious Right!</p><p>P.S. Judge Jones’ name may be familiar to you. There’s a reason for that: He wrote the excellent opinion in <em><a href="http://ncse.com/creationism/legal/intelligent-design-trial-kitzmiller-v-dover">Kitzmiller v. Dover</a></em>, Americans United’s successful challenge to “intelligent design” in a Pennsylvania school district. Jones was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush. I’d love to see him on the Supreme Court someday.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/marriage">Marriage</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/john-e-jones-iii">John E. Jones III</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/same-sex-marriage">same-sex marriage</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/intelligent-design">Intelligent Design</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kitzmiller-v-dover">Kitzmiller v. Dover</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tom-corbett">Tom Corbett</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/james-carville">James Carville</a></span></div></div>Wed, 21 May 2014 14:16:09 +0000Rob Boston10047 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/pennsylvania-pride-marriage-equality-comes-to-the-keystone-state#commentsGarden State Victory!: N.J. School Voucher Plan Derailed For This Yearhttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/garden-state-victory-nj-school-voucher-plan-derailed-for-this-year
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">New Jersey&#039;s voucher bill is dead -- for this year. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>With all of the hubbub over today’s ruling on health care at the Supreme Court, it’s easy for other stories to get overlooked. Here’s one from New Jersey that’s shouldn’t: Gov. Chris Christie has conceded that his school voucher plan is dead for this year.</p><p>Christie was asked about the matter during a recent town hall meeting in Mahwah. <a href="http://teaneck.patch.com/articles/christie-concedes-school-choice-is-dead-in-nj-this-year">He said the bill was dead</a> and blamed its derailment on Sheila Oliver, the state Assembly speaker, who Christie said refuses to move the bill.</p><p>“Bottom line, it is not going to happen this year,” Christie said. “But hang in there ….I am going to continue to push for it, and hopefully we can get Sheila Oliver to do the right thing and post that bill for the people of New Jersey.”</p><p>The legislative situation may be a little more complex than Christie will say publicly. While the voucher bill did pass committees in the Assembly and Senate, there was no guarantee that it was going to clear the full chambers. In fact, many legislators had expressed concerns about the bill.</p><p>Former New Jersey Gov. Jim Florio summed up some of these concerns in an <a href="http://www.nj.com/njvoices/index.ssf/2012/06/school_voucher_loss_is_gain_fo.html">excellent op-ed</a> blasting vouchers.</p><p>Florio praised public schools as a “uniquely American institution” and criticized voucher boosters who “would segregate our most motivated students in such schools and transfer them to private and parochial schools. The vast majority of remaining students, 85 to 90 percent, would be intellectual residue.”</p><p>Continued Florio, “Voucher supporters, rather than committing to improve educational opportunity for all, run up a white flag of surrender on the hallowed American tradition of universal education – opting instead for a European-style bifurcated system of quality education to some and a lesser system for the rest. Equality for all is apparently too much of an effort.”</p><p>Had vouchers passed in New Jersey, we at AU have no doubts that most of the money would have ended up in the coffers of religious schools. New Jersey has a large Catholic school system and many of its schools have been closing due to budget constraints. At the end of the day, the Garden State voucher plan would have amounted to a taxpayer-funded bailout of Catholic education.</p><p>And the state would have faced the same problems that have surfaced in Louisiana recently, where fundamentalist academies that offer <a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/weird-science-taxpayer-funded-religious-schools-in-louisiana-teach">sub-standard education</a> are salivating at the idea of getting a taxpayer-funded windfall.</p><p>These developments in New Jersey are welcome, but we know this won’t be the end of it. Christie has vowed to push vouchers anew next year, and big-money interests and powerful sectarian lobbies are gearing up for another fight.</p><p>The issue remains alive in other states as well. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Corbett has slashed funding for public education while proposing a wide-ranging voucher plan that would mainly benefit sectarian schools.</p><p>A new pro-voucher political action committee has been formed by wealthy business interests in Pennsylvania, and it plans to <a href="http://articles.philly.com/2012-06-27/news/32425553_1_charter-schools-vouchers-archdiocesan-schools">pour money </a>into the coffers of legislators who back vouchers. Across the country, voucher advocate Betsy DeVos and her front group, Alliance for School Choice, spends millions pushing voucher plans in the states.</p><p>The collapse of Christie’s voucher plan in New Jersey is heartening, but this fight isn’t over yet – not in that state or in others. Defenders of the church-state wall and public education must remain vigilant.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/vouchers">Vouchers</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/new-jersey">new jersey</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/gov-chris-christie">Gov. Chris Christie</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/sheila-oliver">Sheila Oliver</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tom-corbett">Tom Corbett</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/betsy-devos">Betsy DeVos</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/vouchers">vouchers</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/jim-florio">Jim Florio</a></span></div></div>Thu, 28 Jun 2012 16:11:46 +0000Rob Boston7266 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/garden-state-victory-nj-school-voucher-plan-derailed-for-this-year#commentsFunny Money: Pa. Charter School Accused Of Using Public Dollars To Fund Churchhttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/funny-money-pa-charter-school-accused-of-using-public-dollars-to-fund
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Taxpayer funds can all too easily be diverted to religious purposes through “school choice” projects. The Rev. Dennis Bloom’s school was apparently just a funnel for his personal interests and that of his church. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Some “school choice” advocates hold up charter schools as a superior alternative to standard public schools, but as a situation in Pennsylvania has shown, some of these charter schools can lead to misuse of public funds.</p><p>The Pocono Mountain Charter School in Tobyhanna <a href="http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-pa-pocono-charter-school-20120106,0,7229831,full.story">may have violated a number of state laws</a>, including diverting taxpayer money to Shawnee Tabernacle Church, from which it leases a building. The school may have also improperly received $87,101 in state rental reimbursements because of its lease with the church, according to the Allentown <em>Morning Call</em>.</p><p>The newspaper obtained a preliminary report from the state auditor-general, exposing a number of other ethical and legal charges against the school. These included multiple violations of the Pennsylvania Ethics Act rule about conflicts of interest by the Rev. Dennis Bloom, who is president of Shawnee Tabernacle and was CEO of the school until December 2010.</p><p>These alleged violations include:</p><p>• Bloom instructed the church to enter into a 2007 lease agreement that required the charter school to construct a 35,000-square-foot addition that would connect to Shawnee Tabernacle;</p><p>• The school's lease payments to the church increased 124 percent to $920,000 between the 2005-06 school year and the end of construction of the addition in 2007;</p><p>• Pennsylvania taxpayers footed more than $900,000 in construction costs for the school, which included a gym floor with the words “Shawnee Tabernacle,” a parking lot, elevator and an outdoor electronic sign, all of which will be owned by the church once the lease ends;</p><p>• The school gym, which is stocked with $200,000 in equipment, is closed for school use during non-school hours but is open for free to the Tobyhanna Impact Athletic Center, a nonprofit founded in 2008 by Bloom’s daughter; and</p><p>• Teachers at the school earned only $20,000 per year, but Bloom was paid $120,000 plus bonuses while CEO, and his wife, Gricel, earned $76,000 plus bonuses as assistant CEO.</p><p>The auditor-general’s report is not the first allegation of scandal surrounding Bloom, his school and his church. In October 2010, the Pocono Mountain School Board pulled the charter school's right to operate as an independent public school after an investigation unveiled numerous conflict-of-interest violations that allegedly occurred between 2007 and 2010, according to the <em>Morning Call</em>.</p><p>But the state Charter Appeals Board later reversed that decision, and Pocono Mountain officials are still assessing the board’s ruling.</p><p>It’s fitting that this saga has played out in Pennsylvania, where Gov. Tom Corbett (R) pushed for expanded “school choice” programs, including voucher subsidies and tax-credit schemes. His plan last year was passed by the Senate before it died in the House of Representatives.</p><p>This is a prime example of why Corbett’s scheme was so ill-conceived. Taxpayer funds can all too easily be diverted to religious purposes through “school choice” projects. Bloom’s school was apparently just a funnel for his personal interests and that of his church.</p><p>While not every charter school, or even most, are going rogue, many private schools are run by sectarian institutions and state dollars should not be used to fund them.</p><p>Maybe Bloom’s story and the legislative defeat is enough to convince Corbett to abandon voucher schemes for good. </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/vouchers">Vouchers</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-aid-religious-schools">Other Government Aid to Religious Schools</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tom-corbett">Tom Corbett</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/dennis-bloom">Dennis Bloom</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/shawnee-tabernacle-church">Shawnee Tabernacle Church</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pocono-mountain-charter-school">Pocono Mountain Charter School</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a></span></div></div>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:47:46 +0000Simon Brown6548 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/funny-money-pa-charter-school-accused-of-using-public-dollars-to-fund#commentsVoucher Victory!: Scheme To Award Taxpayer Funds To Religious Schools Collapses In Pennsylvaniahttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/voucher-victory-scheme-to-award-taxpayer-funds-to-religious-schools
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Even with a voucher, the &#039;choice&#039; always belongs to those who own and operate private schools.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Good news from Pennsylvania: A hotly contested school voucher plan has failed to pass the state House of Representatives.</p><p>Gov. Tom Corbett has been pushing this legislation since he was elected in 2010. Under the scheme, vouchers were aimed at families earning no more than 185 percent of the federal poverty level ($41,000 for a family of four) whose children attend schools that are in the bottom 5 percent in terms of standardized test performance.</p><p>As my colleague Simon Brown <a href="http://www.au.org/church-state/december-2011-church-state/featured/pennsylvania-railroad">noted</a> in this month’s <em>Church &amp; State</em>, a phalanx of right-wing, anti-public school groups joined forces with the Roman Catholic hierarchy in the state to press for the bill. They played hardball. At one point, Catholic officials in Pittsburgh even tried to <a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/voucher-mea-culpa-pa-church-leaders-recant-lobby-or-else-order-to-needy">strong-arm needy parents </a>who had received scholarships into lobbying for the bill.</p><p>The pro-voucher forces managed to push the legislation through the Pennsylvania Senate in October, and members of the House found themselves under intense lobbying.</p><p>But it wasn’t enough. When it became apparent that vouchers could not clear the House, supporters <a href="http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/12/state_house_rejects_school-vou.html">removed the provision</a> from an education-related bill. An amendment to that bill that would have expanded the state’s tax-credit plan – a boondoggle that supports private schools through backdoor channels – faced a House vote late Wednesday night and fell short, 105-90.</p><p>It’s unclear what will happen next. Corbett has vowed to push vouchers again next year, but some lawmakers say there’s no point.</p><p>“It’s highly unlikely that it would be reconsidered at any time during this current session,” Stan Saylor, the House Republican whip, told the Harrisburg <em>Patriot-News</em>. “We gave it a try. At some point, you have to recognize that the votes aren’t there and say: ‘OK, let’s move on to the other important issues.’”</p><p>Good idea. And perhaps those issues should include doing something to improve public education in the state. Since taking office, Corbett has slashed more than $900 million from the public education budget. But even as he cut public schools to the bone, Corbett schemed to force taxpayers to fund religious and other private schools.</p><p>Under the plan, private schools would have received a windfall of taxpayer aid but little meaningful oversight. Private schools would have retained the right to refuse admission to or expel any student. Even with a voucher, the “choice” always belongs to those who own and operate private schools.</p><p>I’m a native of Pennsylvania, and I know that there are some areas of the state where public education is troubled. Not surprisingly, those schools tend to be in areas plagued with serious problems – chronic poverty, joblessness, crime and so on. Allowing a tiny percentage of kids to leave these schools does nothing to address the underlying issues that trouble these communities, nor does it help lift up the entire population.</p><p>Vouchers are a gimmick. They are akin to putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound. Now that this bill has been defeated, it’s time for Pennsylvania legislators to get serious and look at real education reform.</p><p>Americans United’s Delaware Valley Chapter was pleased to be part of the coalition that worked against vouchers in the Keystone State. Of course, we have no intention of letting our guard down. We’ll keep a close eye on Pennsylvania – and all of the other states – and we’ll speak out loudly against any plan to force taxpayers to pay for someone else’s religion.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/vouchers">Vouchers</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/tuition-tax-credits-and-deductions">Tuition Tax Credits and Deductions</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/vouchers">vouchers</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tom-corbett">Tom Corbett</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-chapter field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Chapters:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/chapters/delaware-valley">Delaware Valley</a></div></div></div>Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:57:56 +0000Rob Boston6469 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/voucher-victory-scheme-to-award-taxpayer-funds-to-religious-schools#commentsTaxation For Religion?: Pa. Governor Proposes School Voucher Schemehttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/taxation-for-religion-pa-governor-proposes-school-voucher-scheme
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Every state has issues with struggling schools and students who drop out, but contrary to what Corbett said, voucher programs do allow students to simply run away from bad schools without forcing the state to fix them.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (R) last week promoted an “education reform” plan that includes<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-pa-corbett-education,0,1056862.story"> taxpayer-funded school vouchers for tuition at religious and other private schools</a>.</p>
<p>The proposal is supposedly targeted at low-income families with kids in “failing” public schools. The vouchers would permit these students to transfer to other private or public schools, including religious schools, provided the school chooses to accept the student.</p>
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<p>So what’s really going on here? Every state has issues with struggling schools and students who drop out, but contrary to what Corbett said, voucher programs <em>do </em>allow students to simply run away from bad schools without forcing the state to fix them. On top of that, Corbett has hacked funding for public schools, which probably is not going to help fix anything, either.</p>
<p>The larger issue raised by vouchers, of course, is that they pump tax dollars into religious schools with the full support of the Religious Right and others who hate the secular nature of the public school system. The vouchers are an affront to constitutional principles and a blatant misuse of public money.</p>
<p>This Pennsylvania voucher plan is already drawing the ire of public school advocates, some Republican and Democratic lawmakers and church-state separation advocates, according to the AP, but it will also likely get support from the state legislature’s Republican majority and some Democrats in poor school districts.</p>
<p>It’s time for Pennsylvania residents to speak up. <a href="http://www.psea.org/general.aspx?id=8681">A recent poll conducted by the Pennsylvania State Education Association</a> found that 59 percent of respondents were either “strongly opposed or somewhat opposed” to school vouchers while just 38 percent said they were in favor of plans like Corbett’s. Repondents were also overhelwmingly opposed to the $860 million Corbett slashed from education, with 69 percent strongly opposing or opposing the cuts, according to the poll.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is far from the only state exploring school voucher options. <a href="http://blog.au.org/2011/08/05/taxing-our-patience-voucher-boosters-wage-widening-war-on-public-schools-and-taxpayers%E2%80%99-rights/">As my colleague Joe Conn wrote in August</a>, the AP reported that 30 state legislatures have contemplated voucher bills in 2011, up from just nine in 2010. Additionally, 28 states have considered tax breaks for private school tuition this year.</p>
<p>This is a real problem, and it’s not going away. An Oct. 9 editorial in the <em>Concord </em>(N.H.) <em>Monitor</em> <a href="http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/284872/new-threat-to-close-church-state-gap?CSAuthResp=1318860913%3Ac6u5u5eq5v8qo7hqc73piuqli6%3ACSUserId|CSGroupId%3Aapproved%3A9F6FB56D5033D0F09E1BB4B12BEAE31F&amp;CSUserId=94&amp;CSGroupId=1">opposed a recent proposal to amend the New Hampshire Constitution to make it ok for taxpayers to support religious schools</a>.</p>
<p>“Removing the ban on taxpayer support of religious schools, even when the money is allegedly used for only secular purposes, would be a terrible mistake that would shrink the separation of church and state,” the editorial said.</p>
<p>No one should be forced to fund sectarian education. As Thomas Jefferson put it in his Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, “[T]o compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical.”</p>
<p>If you share our concerns about this topic, get active. <a href="http://www.au.org/resources/brochures/should-you-pay-taxes-to-support-religious-schools/">Learn about the issue</a>, sign up for AU <a href="http://www.au.org/stay-up-to-date/emails/">activist alerts</a> and let your friends and family know just what is at stake.</p>
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</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/fighting-religious-right">Fighting the Religious Right</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religion-public-schools-and-universities">Religion in Public Schools and Universities</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/tuition-tax-credits-and-deductions">Tuition Tax Credits and Deductions</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/vouchers">Vouchers</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religious-right-0">Religious Right</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/school-vouchers-amp-government-subsidies-religious-schools">School Vouchers &amp;amp; Government Subsidies of Religious Schools</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/thomas-jefferson">thomas jefferson</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tom-corbett">Tom Corbett</a></span></div></div>Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:36:54 +0000Simon Brown6172 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/taxation-for-religion-pa-governor-proposes-school-voucher-scheme#commentsStarving The Schools: In The States, Voucher Boosters Play Reverse Robin Hood With Tax Dollarshttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/starving-the-schools-in-the-states-voucher-boosters-play-reverse-robin-hood
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">This would seem to be a poor time to divert tax money into religious and other private schools. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>Across the country, public schools are feeling the pinch of the economic downturn. The school system my daughter and son attend has increased class sizes, and some popular programs are on the chopping block.</p>
<p>This, then, would seem to be a poor time to divert tax money into religious and other private schools. (Learn more <a href="http://www.au.org/homepage/features/archive/2011/03-vouchers/?utm_source=au%2Bhomepage&amp;utm_medium=homepage%2Bbanner&amp;utm_campaign=Featured%2Bon%20homepage">here</a>.) Yet consider what’s going on in several states:</p>
<p><strong>Ohio:</strong> Gov. John Kasich has told public education officials to expect cuts totaling $1.3 billion. Some high school classes might increase to 36 students, and some programs will be cut. Nevertheless, Kasich has <a href="http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/03/24/copy/schools-can-adjust-to-cuts-kasich-education-official-tells-lawmakers.html?adsec=politics&amp;sid=101">called for</a> expanding Ohio’s private school voucher program, which currently has 14,000 students taking part, to 60,000.</p>
<p><strong>Indiana:</strong> Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett has told educators to expect <a href="http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110323/NEWS07/303239974/1006/NEWS">no increase</a> in funding this year for public schools. Funding levels have not increased since 2009. But Bennett and Gov. Mitch Daniels are aggressively pushing a multi-million-dollar, statewide voucher plan that could subsidize private schools to the tune of $5,500 per student.</p>
<p><strong>New Jersey:</strong> A state court <a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/christies_school_aid_cuts_left.html#cmpid=v2mode_be_smoref_face">has ruled</a> that cuts to public education pushed through by Gov. Chris Christie have left the state unable to provide a “thorough and efficient” education to the 1.4 million school-aged children in New Jersey. Christie slashed state aid to public schools by more than $800 million last year. Yet this year, he has proposed spending $360 million on voucher aid to religious schools.</p>
<p><strong>Pennsylvania:</strong> Gov. Tom Corbett <a href="http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/03/08/corbett-budget-cuts-target-pennsylvania-schools/ ">has submitted</a> a budget that cuts K-12 education by $550 million. He recommends that public school employees accept salary freezes. Meanwhile, Corbett and his allies in the state Senate are aggressively pushing a voucher plan that could cost as much as $1 billion.</p>
<p>That’s just four states. As I <a href="http://www.au.org/media/church-and-state/archives/2011/02/voucher-vexation.html">reported</a> in <em>Church &amp; State</em> in February, voucher bills are sweeping the states at the same time most places are making deep cuts to public education. It’s beyond ironic.</p>
<p>And don’t even give me any of this nonsense about how vouchers save money by reducing the number of youngsters attending public schools. A handful of kids leaving a school has no appreciable effect on the budget. Most costs are fixed. A teacher’s salary remains the same whether her class has 25 pupils or 27. The electricity bill doesn’t go down; the janitor must still be paid.</p>
<p>Public schools serve 90 percent of America’s children. If we’re serious about education, they must be our focus. The recent round of budget cuts coupled with voucher bills is a frontal assault on two important principles: church-state separation and public schools.</p>
<p>It’s time to speak out. Want some resources? Remember, AU's website has a <a href="http://www.au.org/homepage/features/archive/2011/03-vouchers/?utm_source=au%2Bhomepage&amp;utm_medium=homepage%2Bbanner&amp;utm_campaign=Featured%2Bon%20homepage">special section</a> on vouches and is a great place to start.</p>
<p>P.S. Don’t forget that Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner (R-Ohio) is <a href="http://www.au.org/media/church-and-state/archives/2011/03/parochial-priority.html">pushing to revive</a> a voucher “experiment” in Washington, D.C. – even though the “experiment” has already been shown to be a failure. This drive has never been about helping children. It’s about a relentless political ideology that hates public education.</p>
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</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/chris-christie">Chris Christie</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/indiana">Indiana</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/john-kasich">John Kasich</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/mitch-daniels">Mitch Daniels</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/new-jersey">new jersey</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ohio">Ohio</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/school-vouchers-amp-government-subsidies-religious-schools">School Vouchers &amp;amp; Government Subsidies of Religious Schools</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tom-corbett">Tom Corbett</a></span></div></div>Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:05:19 +0000Rob Boston2177 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/starving-the-schools-in-the-states-voucher-boosters-play-reverse-robin-hood#comments